Harbored
by Lillium-Nakano
Summary: “More of a shame really,” she muttered. My eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Her head tilted up and was considerably close to mine. I felt her breath against my face. “And it’s only a shame because you really are beautiful.” Chie X Aoi


So I'm trying a new style than my usual works, meaning it's going to be more fantasy orientated VS romance (don't worry, there's still romance in it of course)

It's a Chie X Aoi and a new idea I came up with, so I'm posting to see if people like it and if they do I'll continue it. So pleasseee review and tell me what you think.

Disclaimer: I don't own Mai Hime or any of its characters

Rated T for language, sexual themes and some violence

Prologue- A Scripture Disappointment

"_Clouds polluted the sky, painting dark grey streaks across the night. The breeze carried a light rain that seemed to merely hasten the glistening of new morning's dew as the sun had yet to crack the surface. Two powerful parents each held their new born baby with nothing but a proud glow. Neither they nor the innocent infant could understand the political shattering that began that night, merely by the baby's first cry of new life."_

Lady Yukino Kikukawa- _The Tearing of the Scriptures_

"Damn it all to hell," Cain Yukio cursed under his breath as he paced in his study. Years of devoted service to Lord Harada's political campaigns left him a bent and tired man. Wisps of white hair were purposefully held in place to hide the top of his head that lay bare. The corners of his mouth were creased in deep wrinkles from his unwavering frown.

"It can't be so bad, father. Don't you make sure that the people love him no matter what?" His eldest son asked while his eyes trailed after his father.

"Oh yes. Yes indeed. And I do a damn well good job too. The man could impose fifty percent taxes and murder thousands and the idiotic people would still love him," he practically growled. He stopped his pacing and met his boy's eyes. "But this? Everything that happened tonight goes against the scriptures that his devoted people cling to so fiercely. It's against the very sheets of paper that deemed that family the saviors of disease and war." He sighed.

His son looked down at his feet and felt his father's pain. Although he was barely eleven years old he understood Yukio's loyalties to Lord Harada. His father believed in the Lord's beliefs and thought of him as the most kind and yet firm ruler that Tiera has seen. The young boy understood that this was his father's weakness.

"Of all things that servant Hime wench had to bear a girl child," his father hissed in clenched teeth. The boy's eyes flicked over to the door of the room where Yukio's own personal Hime stood guard. She gave nothing to the insult, not even an eye twitch. The rumors are that emotions are beaten out of Himes before they are sold so that it doesn't cloud their judgment in combat.

"The scriptures say the Lord isn't really supposed to be with any woman besides a noble woman, right? Maybe that threw off the writings," the boy offered an explanation.

"Whether he is at fault or she, the people will be outraged to know that their Lord isn't the Lord in the scriptures," Yukio sat down at his study desk, slamming his head on it with a sigh. Inwardly, the boy felt disappointed at his father's outright grief and complaining. He walked towards the time ridden man and placed a hand on his shoulder for faux comfort. The boy tilted his head closer to his father's ear.

"If only you could convince the Lord to keep the birth of the girl a secret, then it would at least buy the Hime woman more time to bear a son," the boy whispered in his father's ear. Yukio lifted his head from the desk and stared into the child's eyes.

"Yes, of course. Then once the son is born we can always pull the girl out of hiding and simply say she is younger than what she is. Of course," he muttered to himself and stood from the desk and patted the boys head before he hurriedly walked past his Hime and out the door. However, the woman did not follow. Instead, her eyes trailed down towards her master's child.

"May I speak, Young Master?" She asked. The young boy's eyes trailed up to his father's Hime and nodded, curious to what she would break her silence for. "What do you gain out of all of this?" Not even a flicker of emotion stirred her facial features. He smiled.

"Nothing more than seeing the Lord embraced by his people and my father happy, my dear woman," he continued to grin as his eyes sparkled as if he was keeping a joke unveiled underneath his angelic exterior. The Hime merely raised one eyebrow and left to follow after her master.

The boy chuckled to himself and wondered how heart broken his father would be when he realized that the Lord's lover was no longer going to be fertile, and that this daughter was to be the only offspring Lord Harada would ever carry.

Knowing that the world would be soon enough torn apart, the boy went back to his bedchambers and slept very soundly.

* * *

Chapter one- Cornerstone of a Woman

_The sharp knocks pierced the silent air, and the yelling soon came after._

"_CHIE! I've told you once before NOT TO LOCK THE DOOR," Akane yelled through the thick wood. I grumbled and shoved the soft pillow over my head._

"_Five more minutes!" I yelled back._

"_No, you have to get up NOW. We have to get you ready to have an important lunch with your father!" She pounded the door once more. My head perked up when she mentioned my father, and I quickly sprinted out of bed and unlocked the door._

"_My father?" I asked. She nodded and rushed me back towards my closet. My father hired Akane to not only be a maid, but to watch after me as well as teach me a wide range of things involving life. She was a huge influence in my life, playing as a third parent, caretaker and school teacher all at once. I only saw my mother and father every few months or so to check in on my progress in school, because they were incredibly busy for the most part. I only knew that my father was a very important man to the country, so I made sure that each time I reported back to him I had perfect marks in the lessons Akane taught me, as well as the politeness of a young woman. _

_Akane sighed as she peered in my closet. _

"_You have one dress and it's barely flattering," she said, mostly to herself. She took it off its hanger and pulled my shirt up. "It will have to do then." She slid the dress over me and brushed through my hair so that it reached its longest length down towards my mid back. It was my mother who put a big emphasis on how beautiful women held beautiful hair, so Akane-sama made sure that my hair was long and glistening when I had to report to them. Usually I would gripe about having to wear the stupid frilly dress, but because I wanted to make my parents proud, I swallowed my disdain and tried very hard not to look into the mirror to see a dolled up prissy little girl._

"_Why the sudden meeting?" I asked the hurried maid as she brushed through tangles of my hair. It was unusual for Father to see her on such short notice. Usually their lunches were planned way ahead of time since he had to fix it around his schedule._

"_To be honest, I'm not entirely sure," she turned me around to face her and messed with the front parts of my hair. "But when he says fetch you I come to fetch."_

_I blew a stray strand of black hair out of my face. I'd never say it in front of Mother, but I hated having long hair. Not only did it get in my face all the time, but it was a pain to keep up. Usually I just kept it in a pony tail when I was just going to see Akane for the day. She put a small bow in my hair for her final touch._

"_There," Akane said while her eyes scanned me up and down. "I suppose that'll do for a time cruncher." _

_She pushed me along out the door and through the hallways of the castle. As soon as we left our wing, I immediately soaked in the newer atmosphere that I rarely got to see. There never was any reason to leave our wing of the castle__,__ seeing as how it had its own kitchen and several rooms to play in. Usually when I was summoned to see my father the halls leading up to the dining room were completely empty, but today servants bustled about with their assorted duties. A few of them stopped to stare at me for a moment. They weren't very accustomed to seeing me either. I wondered if the surprise and confusion in their eyes was because they noticed a striking similarity between me and their master. Akane had to give me a small tug to fasten my pace because I was distracted by all the new faces I saw. _

_The guards that stood before the dining room doors barely gave us a glance as Akane-sama pushed through the large wooden doors. My father awaited us at the end of the long dining table. His head was rested upon his palm in deep thought as we entered, and his eyes snapped back into consciousness when the doors closed. Mother stood behind him with a hand on his chair. As we drew nearer, I sensed something was wrong within her. Usually my mother had a constant neutral expression plastered onto her face. Her facial structures stayed constant and never expressed even a faint of emotion__. H__owever when I peered up into her eyes this particular morning, I could see heaviness in her expression. Even under her eyes there was a flush of red__,__ although her lips were in the same neutral position. I didn't even know if mother had __the__ ability to cry. _

_I stood next to my father's chair and he turned to bury me in a strong hug. His arms tightened around me and his entire presence consumed me. I smiled and hugged back, my tiny arms couldn't even wrap all the way around him, but I buried my head in his chest and held him as tightly as I could. A small scent of cologne and tobacco enveloped my senses and I made sure to register it in my memory. After one last squeeze, he finally let go and peered down at me._

"_My, how beautiful you have become," he whispered mostly to himself. I picked up on a small hint of sadness as he said it. "How old are you now, my dear?" _

_Most children would be offended at their parents forgetting their birthday, but I understood that my father was an important man with a great deal of things weighing on his mind. _

"_Eight and a half, sir," I proudly said as I stretched out my lips into a big smile. Signs of age crawled onto his cheeks as wrinkles presented themselves in the corners of his returned smile. _

"_Goodness how old you've gotten," he rested his hand on top of my head. "You're becoming quite the young lady." I kept my smile on and was glad that Akane-sama made me wear the stupid dresses. They seemed to make Father happy. _

_He turned his head upwards towards my mother__,__ who didn't meet his gaze. Her eyes were somewhere else, somewhere away from this world. He turned back to me. _

"_Chie, I need you to help me, and I believe you're old enough to do so," his eyes burned into mine, making it impossible for me to look away. I merely nodded. Of course I would help him. I'd do anything for him. He curled my hand into his as he continued. "The scriptures of the land say that my first child must always be a son." _

_A son? That can't be. I was a girl and I didn't think I had an older brother. He must have read the confusion on my face because he explained further._

"_You see I am a leader of this land because the scriptures say for me to lead. We trust in what the scriptures tell us, and our people put all their hopes onto these writings. They believe I am their Lord because I am described in these writings; however every Lord must always bear a son as their first child. The previous Lords before me all did, and so I must do so as well."_

_I still didn't understand. I shifted my eyes towards Akane-sama and her expression held nothing. I looked back at my father._

"_So, my darling__,__ I need you to be my son," he squeezed my hand tighter. "I hear you aren't fond of the dresses and long hair, so it might end up being more comfortable for you." He smiled weakly. Back then I didn't understand the political undertones of the scriptures or what it meant being a boy or a girl. I always understood that I was a girl who was supposed to wear dresses and have long hair and overall be the essence of beauty. I didn't know what it meant to be a boy but I saw the dire need in my father's eyes. I was too young to know the physical difference between boys and girls, and I almost thought it was more of a social title. He was merely asking me to change my title. I looked into his eyes and nodded._

"_Yes, Father. I will pretend to be a boy for you because you need me __too__ and I love you.__"_

_I thought that saying it would make him happier, but after I did his eyes sunk even deeper into sadness. I looked up towards my mother and thought I saw a small tear trailing down her cheek, but I immediately dismissed the idea because I knew it was impossible for my mother to cry._

"_CHIE!" I blinked and looked around._

_CHIE!_

* * *

"CHIE!" Akane-sama's fists on my door jolted my eyelids up and I had to look around a moment to see where I was. I groaned as I gained full consciousness, realizing that I had the same dream again. Damn it. I pounded my pillow in frustration. It wasn't even a dream, it was a memory recollection. For once I'd like to dream of something different like unicorns or ponies. Hell, I'd rather have nightmares than the same boring memories coming back to me.

"YOU HAVE FIVE MINUTES," she yelled through the door. "You need to go and meet some prospective Himes in an hour!"

"Okay, okay!" I sighed and hollered back. I swung my feet over off the bed and onto the floor and drug my body away from the warm and comfy sleeping sanctuary. I could hear Akane's footsteps slowly evaporate as she moved back to her quarters. I stood and looked into the mirror. My hair wasn't incredibly short, for it almost reached my shoulders but it was easily tangled and messed up because it was thick. I ruffled it up a little then combed my fingers through it to smooth it out. The effort didn't make the mess anywhere near perfect, but a positive aspect of being a "boy" was that hair didn't need to be perfect unless it was for a special occasion.

My eyes trailed down to the small mounds towards the front of my shirt. I sighed and lifted my shirt out to look at my breasts. They certainly weren't huge but they were definitely there. I was nineteen years old and they were still growing. I glared at them, hoping that might make a difference. It was disheartening because the bigger they got the more pressure I would have to use to push them in, because apparently men weren't suppose to have breasts.

I was twelve when Akane first brought me the elastic bands that I would forever be acquainted to. When I first had to wear them I pitched a fit, but throughout the years I got accustomed to them. They put constant pressure on my chest and when I had to wear them for days on end I was miserable.

I slid my night shirt off and wrapped the bands tightly around my chest. I took a deep breath to try and grow accustomed of the pressure then chose a random shirt and pants to slip on. My entire wardrobe consisted of baggy pants and shirts. The breasts were easy to hide because they could be squished down, however the feminine figure was a little trickier. My father hired a trainer for me since I was ten to develop some muscles and I was able to buff up my arms a bit, but there was nothing I could do about my hips, so my only solution was to hide under semi-overly large clothes. It all worked out in the end though; because since I started wearing them it became fashionable for men to wear more baggie clothing than they did before. I ended up blending in better. I fastened my cloak around my neck and took one last look in the mirror then headed out the door.

Akane was waiting for me at the end of our quarter's main hallway, tapping her foot impatiently at me. I smiled at her and waved.

"Mornin'," I said. She muttered a small "hmph".

"You never can get up on your own, can you?" She asked me.

"You know I never was able to." I looked down at her and smiled again. I was young when I passed her in height, and now when she wanted to yell at me she had to reach to grab my ear and pull me down to face her evenly.

"They rounded up their best Himes and expect us to be there shortly to show them off," she said, passively. I let out a small grumble and she rolled her eyes. "I know you've been putting this off on purpose but every Lord get's a Hime. It's tradition and it's for your own protection." She stated.

"Why can't we break the rules just this once? I don't need any protection," my voice was almost in a whine. Akane stopped walking rather suddenly and turned to face me. She pulled my face down parallel to hers, forcing me to look into her eyes.

"I understand why you don't want a Hime," she said in a bare whisper. "But it would make your father happy if you would just suck it up and follow the scriptures." Inwardly, I groaned. Akane-sama always knew my weakness. I didn't want to disappoint my father. I nodded and she let go of my head.

"Besides," she continued. "We're already breaking rules." She glanced back at me with her eyebrow raised. I rolled my eyes and walked along behind her.

The estate's stables were one of my favorite places in the entire world. When my father started introducing me as his son to the world, they finally let me roam around the castle's grounds, and it didn't take me long to fall in love with the stables. The smell of horses and hay collided with the sounds of snorting neighing. Horses in general were beautiful creatures, and riding them is exhilarating. When the wind caresses your body you feel like you're practically flying. If I ever could describe what freedom felt like, it would probably be similar to my experiences while riding.

"Ki-kun~!" The stable master's daughter sang and practically tackled me in a hug.

"Hello, Mikoto," I smiled and squeezed her back. I met Mikoto on one of my first trips out of the castle. She was a few years younger than me and didn't realize it was rude to ask a Lord's son what their first name was, and when she asked me I accidently started blurting out "Chie" but realized Chie was a girl's name so I caught myself and it kind of transformed into "Ch—ki" which she then took it as "Ki". I don't remember how it caught on to my father but ever since then all my records were put under the name "Ki Harada". Years later when we were reminiscing about our first meeting she told me she was scolded harshly for asking for my first name, but secretly I was glad that the mix up occurred with her and not somebody else. That day in our past marked the first day of a very long friendship between the stable master's daughter and I.

"We need two horses if you please, Mikoto," Akane said eyeing our embrace. Mikoto gave Akane a bow and went to prepare the horses.

"Your father would have a fit if he knew how close you two were," she said. No one was allowed to refer to any of the Lord's family members by first name, even if it was a fake first name.

I shrugged it off and decided not to argue it. A few moments later Mikoto brought out two horses for us. She made sure to bring me my favorite, a light brown Quarter Horse with white spots. His name was Snow and my father made sure that I was the only one who got to ride him.

"Thank you, Mikoto-chan," I said and smiled. She returned the smile and waved to us as we left on our mounts. I waved back. Akane glared at me but offered no lecture with it.

The ride to Fuka Academy was a peaceful one. There was a small breeze that blew past us every so often. Eventually it chilled me, forcing me to tighten my cloak. Akane went on about how I need to seriously think of potential Hime candidates. She lectured me on the importance of picking a strong minded one. I merely appeased her conversation with nods and a mutter of agreement every so often. I've learned from my lessons that a Hime's strength didn't always come from the body. The most powerful Himes held their strength in their minds instead of their muscles.

The Academy's stable master was a small fat little guy who immediately scurried to chill our horses once we dismounted. I peered up at Fuka Academy's building structure. It was one of the largest buildings in existence from what I've learned, because all the Himes in existence are trained in this very school. That's what Fuka Academy essentially was: a strict training school for young women to mold themselves into weapons for the wealthy. As I looked up at it my stomach felt sick.

I recognized the head mistress of the Academy immediately as she and her two Himes greeted us at the gate's entrance. Her name was Shizuru Fujino and she was a well known controversy in the land. She was the first woman head master because her mother died at Fujino's birth, and so eventually her father just allowed her to inherit the academy. It was in general agreements that she was one of the best head masters to take over, but she personally caused quite a stir. It was rare for a woman to get a Hime, let alone two, and the scriptures heavily look down on it. However, it was not forbidden, and because she produced the Himes, it never really was disputed. To make matter's a little worse, she refused to marry over the years, and produced no heir.

Her two Himes stood directly behind her. One seemed more rough around the corners but with long blue hair and a more stern expression, while the other seemed more fragile and had short red hair with neutral features. Both had on the usual Hime uniform. I tried to recall their names from my lessons. Natsuki and Nao I believed it was…

"Welcome, my Lord," Fujino bowed before us. It was accustomed to call the Lord's heir by the title "Lord" while the leader wasn't present because the heir represented all the Lord stood for, and in essence, was the leader himself.

I bowed as well, showing just as much respect. The title of Head Mistress was one of the most honored titles as well, almost as respected the Lord.

"Thank you," I said. "I've only seen pictures of Fuka Academy before today and I must say it is more stunning than a photo." I issued the compliment merely for conversation sake. I still didn't like the look of the building.

Fujino smiled.

"We are honored to have such a compliment," she said. Her eyes switched from me to Akane. "Might you both want to come in? I've arranged my finest Himes for you to meet my Lord, and they are very excited to see you." I almost wanted to snort at the prospect of Himes feeling excitement.

Both Akane and I followed her, and as we passed through the halls the young girls in the Hime uniforms moved quickly aside to let us walk through uninterrupted. Akane-sama chatted with Fujino in my place, knowing I wasn't the best for small talk with important figures. I've always had habit of saying the wrong things at the wrong times. One reason why I didn't mind Akane tagging along all the time was the very fact that she did watch out for me, and tried to make each interaction as comfortable as possible.

The entire building was eerie. Although I knew for a fact there were thousands of young women residing here, there was hardly even a whisper admitted in the halls. The building stayed silent, and even the Himes in the hall issued quiet footsteps as they walked. It seemed unnatural.

We stopped in front of a door without a number, and the blue haired Hime (Natsuki?) slid it open. Fujino walked past her to go inside and for a brief second I caught her glimpsing at the Hime as the corner of her mouth tugged into a small smile. I thought I saw a bit of blush swim across the blue haired girl's cheeks, but if that were true it was gone by the time I walked past her.

Inside there were a line of women in Hime uniforms, with a seemingly diverse age range. Some looked as if they were still children, while others looked to be Akane's age. A few seemed more dedicated to brawn looks, while others seemed frail. I had to recall Akane's lesson where she explained that a Hime's power comes more from the mind than anything. I assumed that even the seemingly fragile Himes were still very powerful. I wondered how long they were standing in this line, because they didn't even flinch when we came through the door.

"I'd like you to meet my top students as of now," Fujino said, lifting her arm to show the line of girls. My eyes flicked between each one and immediately I noticed all the similarities. Each girl had a neutral expression in both their mouths and eyes. Soon enough each of their faces looked like my mother.

I learned that my mother was a Hime shortly after I found out my father was the Lord of the land. With that information, I requested that Akane spend an entire week of lessons specifically gauged towards what exactly Himes were. Reluctantly, Akane did so, and I found a new understanding of what my mother was.

To put it in the most simplest of terms, Himes were weapons. At some point in time, every single Hime was a person who laughed and cried, but eventually a mark would appear on their bodies that showed what they were. After that mark appears, they stopped being people and started being weapons. All the information regarding the transformation from person to weapon is locked inside the building itself. Although no one knew exactly how one would transform into a Hime, everyone knew the end product was the same. Himes were denied all emotions. It was impossible for a Hime to cry or feel love or happiness. The scriptures made it clear that these human weapons could not feel emotions because weapons should not feel emotions, mostly for their own sake. Feelings cloud judgment in battle, and one reason for the Hime's strength was the fact that they did not hold back. Not only were they strong in physical means, but apparently they had powers beyond human grasp.

They were bound to their master by loyalty. Each Hime who was chosen by a master must be connected to that master through a ritual. The ritual forms a life-tie between the mater and the Hime, so if the master were to die the Hime would die along with their master. The life-tie was made to promote the loyalty within the Hime. Their master represented their very life, so that being so the Hime was forced to protect that master with every inch of strength they had. There are rumors that the bonding also enlisted a feeling inside the Hime that was similar to love that people felt, but it was never confirmed.

I looked into each of the Hime's eyes that stood before me and saw nothing behind them. It was like looking through glass into a void. It was like looking at my mother.

I bent down and whispered in Akane-sama's ear that I would rather her look at them for me. She looked up at me and probably saw the desperation and disgust in my eyes, because she sighed and nodded. I thanked Fujino for the display and walked out the door, sliding it shut behind me.

All the Himes that were in these halls before were gone now, for they lay bare except for one girl who was on her hands and knees scrubbing the tiled floor. I rested my back against the door and let out a small sigh. My eyes trailed down to the girl in the same Hime uniform who held a sponge in one hand with a bucket by her side. Her eyes met mine. It was strange, because usually Himes avoid eye contact. Immediately, I felt like I needed to strike up a conversation.

"I didn't think Hime's had to clean," I said. In my mind I slapped my palm on my forehead at how stupid the comment was. She continued to stare at me. She had longer brown hair with bangs that whisked to the side and a milky white tone to her skin. For a few moments she didn't say anything, and then I reminded myself that I was practically trying to talk to a machine. I averted my eyes away from her, frustrated that I was surrounded by things instead of people.

"Are you the Harada heir?" Her voice startled me and I looked back down at her. She still kept eye contact. I nodded.

"Interesting," she cocked her head to the side when she muttered it. She went back to scrubbing the floor. I didn't want the conversation to end. I wanted to desperately talk to someone who didn't have the mind of a machine.

I kneeled down so that I could see into her eyes a little better. I wanted to find a shred of humanity in them.

"What's interesting?" I asked.

She stopped scrubbing but still kept her eyes to the floor.

_Please _I begged. _Look back into my eyes. Show me you're a person._

"More of a shame really," she muttered. My eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Her head tilted up and was considerably close to mine. I felt her breath against my face. "And it's only a shame because you really are beautiful." Her eyes met mine and immediately my body went cold. They were a soft blue color that practically shined as if she was hiding some inside joke from me. Her eyes sliced right through me, and I knew that she knew everything. I don't know how and I don't know why, but she knew everything there was to know about me. And then, the strangest thing that I ever witnessed happened. With her eyes still locked tightly on mine, the corners of her mouth started to tilt upward. Her white teeth greeted me under her lips. A Hime smiled.

I thought I was too stunned to speak, but without my consent my lips formed words on their own.

"Who--," I started then took a breath. "What is your name?" I managed to stutter out.

Her smile was still pressed against her lips and her eyes were still sparkling.

"Aoi," she whispered ever so softly and the warm breeze from her lips washed over my face.

_Aoi…_

The sliding door abruptly opened and immediately the light that shined in her eyes and her smile vanished, and she snapped her head back towards the ground and immediately went back to scrubbing the floor. I looked up at Akane and Fujino with their confused faces meeting my stunned expression. I looked back down at the Hime girl and saw her eyes were once again blank. She was a machine again.

Akane jerked me upwards and dusted my pant legs off while she hurried me out of the building. I turned my head around and watched Fujino set an intent glare on the Hime girl.

_Aoi…_

Akane yelled the entire ride home because a Lord's heir shouldn't be kneeling on the ground, but I merely blocked her harsh voice out. I was talking to a Hime. I shook my head.

No, I was talking to a person. Someone with a soul.

* * *

Chapter 1 end.

THat's chapter one! Please review 3

.Lillium.


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